This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-92191, filed Mar. 28, 2002, the contents of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
This invention relates to a packaging container that can contain multiple pieces of cotton in which liquid disinfectant such as rubbing alcohol is impregnated. A large number of pieces of cotton in which liquid disinfectant such as rubbing alcohol (typically 70% denatured ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol) is impregnated are used during injections in medical care facilities like hospitals. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 11-268765 (1999) discloses a conventional packaging container which includes a container body for containing pieces of cotton, an inner lid for covering an upper opening of the box body, and an outer lid for opening and closing an aperture provided in the center of the inner lid. The container is shipped with the outer lid adhered with an adhesive to an outer top surface of the inner lid, and sealing the aperture of the inner lid. By peeling the outer lid from the inner lid and thereby exposing the aperture, a user can take out cotton pieces from inside the container. When the container is not in use, the outer lid is closed on the inner lid again, thereby covering the aperture.
In the above-described conventional packaging container, the user repeatedly covers the inner lid with the outer lid, thereby preventing rubbing alcohol impregnated in the pieces of cotton from evaporating and also preventing foreign matter from getting inside the container until all the pieces of cotton in the container are used. However, the aperture is provided in a limited small space of a center part of the inner lid, which makes it difficult for the user to take out the pieces of cotton therethrough. It is especially difficult for a user to take out a piece of cotton when only a few pieces remain in the container.
If the user picks and takes out the piece of cotton with forceps, the piece may be blocked by an edge of the aperture. Further, during the process of taking out the piece, a droplet of rubbing alcohol impregnated in the piece can fall and remain on the inner lid. The remaining alcohol directly contacts the adhesive applied on the outer lid side, thereby decreasing the adhesive power of the inner lid, causing a reduction in the sealing effect of the container. Further, since the container has a construction that has an adhesive coating applied to a reverse side of the outer lid, if the user opens the outer lid in a manner of flipping it over, the adhesive coating is exposed to the outside, which also causes a decrease in adhesive power.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems present in current packaging containers. It is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging container wherein a wide opening of a container body performs as an exit through which pieces of cotton impregnated with liquid disinfectant inside the container body are taken out, thereby allowing a user to easily and smoothly take out the pieces, and wherein the exit is tightly sealed when the container is not in use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a packaging container which allows a user to repeatedly and tightly seal an exit even after a user peels a seal lid sealing the exit of the container body.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging container for giving no deterioration to a sealing effect thereof even if a droplet of liquid falls from a piece of cotton in which liquid disinfectant is impregnated, and remains on a seal lid or an outer lid during a process of taking out the piece from inside of a container body, thereby storing the pieces of cotton inside the container body without dehydrating or degenerating the pieces after a user peels the seal lid.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging container with a container body openably and closably attached to an outer lid covering over a seal lid, wherein a commercial label adhered to an outer surface of the outer lid performs as a hinge, thereby lowering the cost of production by the expense of a hinge.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging container with a commercial label adhered to an outer surface of an outer lid performing as a hinge, that prevents the outer lid covering a container body from opening by itself due to changes in temperature or humidity.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging container with a commercial label adhered to an outer surface of an outer lid performing as a hinge, that prevents a hinge part of the commercial label from damage by repeatedly opening and closing the outer lid.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a packaging container with a commercial label adhered to an outer surface of an outer lid performing as a hinge, wherein a hinge part of the commercial label is tightly adhered to a container body, thereby preventing the hinge part from peeling off the container body even if the hinge part of the commercial label is repeatedly bent during opening and closing actions of the outer lid.